Transmitting mechanism



June' 7,1927.

I c. c. BALSTON TRANSMITTING MECHANISM Filed April 8, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet '1' INVENTOh cc. (3M;

,Z ATTORNEY N WITNESSES:

'1 2 Q June 9 7 c. CJBALSTON- TRANSMITTING mEiiAulsm 2 SheetS-Sheet' 2 Filed April 8, 1927 l adj 7 2 INVENTOR C BY PQGM (4% ATTOR/VEX WITNESSES: M i ,40 dd Patented June 7, 1927. I

UNITED STATES CLYDE C. BALSTON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

TRANSMITTING MECHANISM.

Application filed April 8,

The object of my invention is to provide simple and eflicient means for transmitting motion from a moving or driving member to a member or object to be moved or driven, where said members are not wholly located in a straight line, and whereby a pull of the moving or driving member on an intermediate connection is to be transmitted I 'flexible connections 6, that are intended to thereby to the member to be moved or driven.

My invention comprises novel details of improvement and combination of parts that will be more fully hereinafter set forth and then ointed out in the claims.

- Re erence is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein,

Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly broken and parts omitted, of a transmitting mechanism embodying my invention,

Figure 2 is a partly broken plan view thereof;

Figure 3 is a section on the line 3, 3, in Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a detail .perspective view of one of the caps for guiding the flexible connection;v

Figure 5 is a section on the line 5, 5, in Figure 1;

Figure dis a detail section on the line 6, 6, in Figure 1; and v Figure 7 is a detail of a modification. Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views.

The numeral 1 indicates a portion of a suitable frame, upon which one or more plates or the like 2 are carried, which plates are shown arranged substantially on edge. I have shown means for adjustably supporting plates 2 on frame 1 so that said plates maybe laterally adjustable, and may be retained in'se't position either vertically on edge or at an angle. to the vertical as desired. For this purpose the frame 1 is shown provided with laterally disposed threaded rods 3 that are received in threaded holes in the uprights of frame 1, the plates 2' having holes through which the rods 3 freely pass, and upon said-rods are pairs-of nuts 4, on opposite sides of the plates 2, whereby said plates may be adjusted along rods 3 and held firmly in set positions. The

nuts are-shown provided with convex faces that bear upon plates 2, enabling said plates.

to be maintained ininclined positions, as in 1927. Serial No. 182,140.

Figure 5. It will be understoodthat rods 3 with their nuts are located at opposite ends of plates 2, said-parts being shown at one end only of plates 2 for simplicity of illus tration. Upon the plates 2 are located a plurality of series of spaced guides 5, which have curved peripheries at the working parts, provided with grooves 5 that receive transmit motion from a moving or driving member to a member to be moved or driven. \Vlnle the guides 5 may beformed integrally with plates 2, in the arrangement illustrated the "guides 5 are shown in the form of suitable blocks provided with slots 5", through which screws 7 freely pass and enter threaded apertures in plates 2, whereby the guides 5 may be adjusted to vary the tension on or to take up slack that may occur in, the con.-

' nections 6. While for some uses it may not be necessary to cover the grooves 5 of guides 5, yet for other uses it may be desirable or necessary so to do, and to this end I provide guiding caps 8, shown inthe form of plates fitted at the sides of guides 5 and having lateral flanges 8*, curved to substantially followthe corresponding curved contour ofthe guides 5, and adapted to overlie the grooves 5 thereof, said flanges 8 being suitably cut away at 8 to permit the free passage-of the connections 6 (see Fig. 4). The caps 8 are provided with slots 8 to receive the screws 7 permitting adjustment of the (Figure 1), that may pass operativelyin a; straight line without requiring a guide 5.

The 'curved working peripheries of the guides 5 on one side of connections 6 are all shown disposed as at the left hand sides of the guides, and the curved peripheries of the guides 5'on the other side of said connections caps with the guides 5. The positions of the tions 6 pass through cury'ed guides shown in the form of guiding grooves 9, shown formed in block 10 secured upon plates 2 on the same side as and above the corresponding guides 5, the ooves 9 on one side of the central connectlon 6 all bein curved in one general direction reverse to t e workin surfaces of the corresponding guides 5,an the grooves 9 on the other side ofthe connection 6* being all grooved in a direction reverse to the first named grooves 9,.and also reverse to the working surfaces of the corresponding 9 I have shown, a plate 11 over each block upper. edges of 'ticularly where such strips pass to'or the blocks 13 in an angular direction with re-' guides 57. B the arrangement shown the upper ends'o the guides 9may all be spaced apart equal distances.

To retain the connections 6 in the grooves 10, which plates and blocks may be retained in place by screws 12, (Figures 2 and 5).

Plate 11 is broken away in Figure 1 for.

clearness of illustration. Be 0nd or above the guiding grooves 9 the exible connections 6, 6 are guided in the required direction to members to be operated by or to operate said connection. To this end I have shown blocks 13 having Ycurved guiding grooves 13 (Figure 3) receiving the connections 6, 6, the grooves 13 being shown spaced apart corresponding to the grooves 9, 'the grooves 13 serving to properly guide the connections 6, 6 with respect to grooves 9. Blocks ,1?) are shown mounted upon a suitable part 1 of frame 1 above the plates 2 and held in place by screws 14. The connections 6, 6 are shown broken to indicate that they may be of-any desired length, and in Figu provided with turn-knuckles 15- to take up slack in the connections. .Any or all of such connections may be provided with turnknuckles if desired. The flexible connections 6, 6 may be in the form of relatively thin flat strips of suitable metal, such as flat wire, or of round wire, chain or cable. For .some uses it may be preferable to provide said connections of thin flat metal'strips or flat wire, afiording-the required flexibilit without danger of undue stretching. Suc flat stri s will properly slide on theworking sur aces of the guides 5 and 9 in a flatwise manner, and yet will suitably twist-in the space between the guides 9 and grooved blocks 13 where such strips, ad acent to the will lie flatwise in the grooves 13, and arre 1 I have shown several connections ides 9, are edgewise to the anes of the b ocks 13, so that said strips .be-relatively close together, and Whose proximity to one another would preclude the convenient use of a plurality of closelyrelated devices, such as shafts and levers, arms, or the like, for operating the same. My im-v provements, therefore, enable the various exible connections that pass over or along the relatively widely spaced guides 5 to converge to, or diverge from the closely related guides 9, and yet portions of the connections 6, 6 on one or both sides of the guides 5 and 9, may pass in substantially parallel lines to one or more of their operating or operated members.

My. improvements may be utilized for operating devices for controlling type printing wheels in writing machines, as in word and phrase writing machines, and may be used for transmitting movement from the arms. 39 set forth in Letters Patent-No. 1,612,089, granted to me December 28, 1926, on mechanical movements, to any desired parts to be controlled, by suitably connecting the flexible connections 6, 6 with said arms, as

for controlling the stops and type wheels in a word or phrase writing machine. Said flexible connections may also be utilized for operating appropriate parts in linotype or type setting machines, or in mechanism for transmitting electric impulses, such as telegraph typewriters, and for any other purposes, and in signalling and'switching devices for railway and other signal systems, and in other relations where simple direct ,acting means are desired for transmitting lar details of construction set forth, as the same may be varied, within the. scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit. of the invention.

Having thus described myinvention, what I claim and desire to secure-by Letters Patent My invention is not limited to the particu- I i 1. Atransmitting mechanism comprising a plurality of spaced guides, a second plu rality of guides spaced nearer together than the spacing between the first named guides,

the second named guides having curves of varying diameters, and flexible connections passing along said guides.

2. A transn'iitting mechanism comprising a plurality of spaced guides, and a second plurality of spaced guides located between the extremes of the first named guides and spaced apart distances less than the spacings between the first named guides, the second named guides having curves ofvarying diameters, and flexible connections passing along said guides.

3. A transmitting mechanism comprising a plurality of spaced guides, a second plurality of guides spaced nearer together than the spacing between the first named guides, the second named guides having curves of varying diameters, flexible connections pass ing along said guides and means having guiding grooves adjacent to the second named guides to receive said flexible connections.

4. A transmitting mechanism comprising a plurality of spaced guides, caps for said guides. a second plurality of guides spaced nearertogether than the spacings between the first named guides, and flexible connections passing along said guides and guided by said caps.

5. A transmitting mechanism comprising a plurality of spaced guides. caps for said guides having flanges provided with openings, a second plurality of guides spaced .nearer together than the spacing between the first named guides, and flexible-connections passing along said guides and through the openings of said caps.

6. A transmitting mechanism comprising a plurality of spaced guides, and caps on the sides of said guides and having flanges extending transversely across said guides,

said flanges having openings, and flexible connections passing along said guides and through the openings of said caps.

7. A transmitting mechanism comprising a support, a plurality of guides spaced apart upon said support, means for adjustably retaining said guides upon said support, a

second plurality of guides upon said support and spaced. apart distances less than the spacings between the first named guides, and flexible connections passing along said guides. I

8. A transmitting mechanism comprising a plurality of spaced guides, certain of said guides having grooved peripheries facing in .one direction on one side of-the center of the guides, the guides on the other side of said center having grooved peripheries facing in .opposite directions, a second plurality of guiding grooves, said grooves on opposite sides of said center facing reversely to the first named guides on corresponding sides of said center, and flexible connections passing along said guides.

9. A transmitting mechanism comprising a plurality of spaced guides, a block having guiding grooves that are nearer together than the working surfaces of the first named guides, said grooves and the corresponding first named guides on one side of their center. facing reversely to each other and to those on the other side of the centenflexible connections passing along said guides and grooves, and means to retain said connections in said guiding grooves.

10. A transmitting mechanism comprising a plurality of spaced guides, a second plurality of guides spaced nearer together than the spacings between the first named guides, a block having guides located on the side of said second named guides opposite to the first named guides, and flexible connections passing along said guides.

- 11. A transmitting mechanism comprising a frame, a plate, means for supporting the plate for lateral adjustment, a plurality of spaced guides carried by said plate, a second plurality of spaced guides carried by said plate, and flexible connections passing along said guides.

12' A transmitting mechanism comprising a frame, a plate, means for supporting the plate for lateral adjustment, a plurality 13. A transn'iitting. mechanism comprising a frame, threaded rods carried by the frame and spaced apart, a plate loosely re-' ceiving said rods, nuts upon said rods for adjustably sustaining said plate in different positions, a plurality of spaced guides carried by said plate, a second plurality of spaced guides carried by said plate above the first named guides, and flexible connections passing over said guides.

14. A transmitting mechanism comprising a frame, threaded rods carried by the frame and spaced apart, a plate loosely receiving said rods, nuts upon said rods for adjustably sustaining said plate in difi'erent positions, a plurality of spaced guides carried by said plate, a second plurality of spaced guides carried by said plate above the first named guides, spaces between one 1 set of guides being less than the spacing between the other set of guides.

15. A transmitting mechanism coinprising a frame, threaded rodsncarried by the frame and spaced apart, a. plate loosely receiving said rods, nuts upon said rods for adjust-ably sustaining said plate in different positions, a plurality of spaced uides carried by said plate, a. second p urality of spaced guides carried by said plate above the first named guides, spaces between one set of guides being less than the spacing bethan the spacing between the first named tween the other set of guides, and a block guides, a block having guides located on the w above said plate provided with a plurality side of the second named guides opposing of guiding grooves receiving snid connecthe first named guides, and relatively thin 5 tions. flat flexible connections passin over said 16. A transmitting mechanism comprisguides and twisted between sai block and ing a plurality of spaced guides, a second said second named guides. a plurality of guides spaced nearer. together CLYDE C. BALSTON. 

